The invention relates to a fiber-optic connection arrangement and to an adapter sleeve.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,744,288 B2 discloses a fiber-optic adapter. The fiber-optic adapter is used to connect a first glass fiber cable with a first connecting or end plug and a second glass fiber cable with a second connecting or end plug, with the first connecting or end plug and the second connecting or end plug being different. This makes it possible to connect glass fiber cables which are terminated with different plug types.
For this purpose, the fiber-optic adapter has a first connecting device for the first connecting or end plug and a second connecting device for the second connecting or end plug. Because the first and the second connecting or end plugs are of different types, the first and the second connecting devices are also of different types.
In particular, the fiber-optic adapter which is proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,744,288 B2 can be used to connect an external glass fiber cable to an internal glass fiber cable. In this case, an external glass fiber cable means a glass fiber cable which is laid in an outdoor area and is subject, for example, to environmental influences, for example to changing weather conditions, moisture, dirt and further environmental influences. In contrast to this, an internal glass fiber cable means a cable which is laid in an indoor area and is not subject to such environmental influences, or only to a minor extent. The requirements and characteristics of internal and external cables are correspondingly different.
In particular, the fiber-optic adapter may have a first connecting device for a connecting plug with a so-called resistance capability, for example a so-called DLX™ plug. Connecting plugs such as these are designed for use in an outdoor area, for example outside buildings, that is to say for outdoor use. In this case, the connecting plug with resistance capability and the first connecting device can be designed such that the fiber-optic adapter allows a fluid-tight connection between an external glass fiber cable, which is laid in an outdoor area, and an internal glass fiber cable, which is laid in an indoor area. Fiber-optic adapters such as these can therefore preferably be used in the area of junctions between an outdoor area and an indoor area, for example in the area of passages through building walls.
However, one disadvantage in this case is that, until now, sealing has been arranged only with respect to the external surrounding area, that is to say in the area of the first connecting device, because the second connecting device, when the fiber-optic adapter has been used as described above, has generally been arranged in an indoor area and has therefore been not subject to any, or only to minimal, external environmental influences, such as moisture. A further disadvantage is that only different types of connecting or end plugs can be connected by means of the known fiber-optic adapter. For example, at the moment, it is therefore impossible to reliably connect two glass fiber cables using connecting or end plugs of the same type.
This raises the technical problem of providing a fiber-optic connection arrangement and an adapter sleeve which allow a connection, protected against environmental influences, between connecting or end plugs of different types or of the same type for glass fiber cables, in which case the aim is not to modify a design of a fiber-optic adapter for connection of two glass fiber cables equipped with connecting or end plugs of different types.
A fiber-optic connection arrangement is proposed. The connection arrangement comprises a fiber-optic adapter for example as described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,744,288 B2. In particular, the fiber-optic adapter has a first connecting device for a first connecting plug and a second connecting device for a second connecting plug. In this case, a connecting device is used for mechanical fixing and/or alignment of a connecting plug which terminates a glass fiber cable. By way of example, a connecting device may have suitable attachment means for this purpose, for example latching, clamping and/or screw elements. Alternatively or cumulatively, the connecting device may have guide means, for example guide grooves, guide webs, guide clips and guide walls. In particular, the fiber-optic adapter may be used to connect an external glass fiber cable and an internal glass fiber cable. For this purpose, the fiber-optic adapter may have an outer section and an inner section, with an outer section being designed and configured such that it complies with the requirements which result from external environmental influences, and can be arranged in an outdoor area. In this case, the inner section can be designed and configured such that it can be arranged in an indoor area, which is not subject to external environmental influences, or only to a reduced extent. In this case, the outer section may have the first connecting device and the inner section the second connecting device. In this case, a connecting plug with a resistance capability preferably has the capability to be inserted into the first connecting device. A connecting plug with a resistance capability such as this is likewise described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,744,288 B2. In this case, sealing means may be arranged in or on the first connecting device and/or on the connecting plug with a resistance capability, such that, when the connecting plug with a resistance capability is connected to the first connecting device, the fiber-optic adapter is sealed in the area of the first connecting device against external environmental influences, in particular moisture. This therefore precludes or minimizes the ingress of moisture through the first connecting device of the fiber-optic adapter from an outdoor area.
Furthermore, the first and the second connecting devices are different or of different types. The fiber-optic adapter is therefore used to connect two glass fiber cables which are terminated with different types of connecting or end plugs.
The fiber-optic adapter has at least one first adapter-side attachment means. The first adapter-side attachment means is in this case not an element of a connecting device. The first adapter-side attachment means is in the form of an external thread with a first adapter-side nominal diameter. The external thread may in this case be arranged on a part of an outer surface or of an outer casing of the fiber-optic adapter. By way of example, the external thread allows a push-on or attachment nut to be screwed onto the fiber-optic adapter. This push-on or attachment nut can be used for mechanically fixing the fiber-optic adapter on an adapter holder (see U.S. Pat. No. 7,744,288 B2).